"Canada: arrests as protestors block ports and railways in support of Wet'suwet'en," 10 Feb 2020

Protesters across Canada have blocked access to road shipping ports and commuter rail lines in support of Indigenous groups fighting the construction of a pipeline on their traditional territory... The protests are part of a nationwide show of support for the embattled Wetʼsuwetʼen hereditary chiefs in the province of British Columbia – and for the 21 Indigenous activists who have been arrested since Thursday on We’tsuwet’en lands... The C$6.6bn (US$5bn) project has the support of 20 elected First Nations councils along the proposed route. Five of the six elected band councils in the Wet’suwet’en nation also support the pipeline. But We’tsuwet’en chiefs say the authority of these groups only applies to reservations – not traditional territory.

... “[We’tsuwet’en] never had a treaty with Canada. Canada can’t claim it’s their land unless they have a purchase receipt with the crown,” the group said in a statement. “Our position is they are our brethren. We have a relationship with them, and we support them in protecting their territory.”... Via Rail, which operate the country’s commuter rail line, said it would not resume service until the situation in resolved... Canadian National, which owns the rail line, won a court injunction on Friday to end the protest – but has not yet enforced the injunction.